Murder, mystery, and a detective with a penchant for chaos: the Knives Out storyline has always been the cinematic equivalent of a Rubik’s Cube you cannot stop turning. Sleek hats, cryptic clues, and the kind of twists that make you question everyone from the gardener to the goldfish, they are back.

The latest installment, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, promises darker corridors, sharper glances, and secrets lurking behind every Gothic window. But before uncovering the who and why, one question persists: where did this maze of shadows and suspicion actually come to life?

Benoit Blanc, whose gaze radiated sharp curiosity and quiet humor, investigates the mysterious death of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, a preacher whose magnetic charm hid tangled secrets. The secluded church becomes a stage for suspects with conflicting pasts and hidden motives.

Jud Duplenticy, a fallen boxer turned conflicted priest, and the loyal yet cranky congregation challenge faith, reason, and every assumption Blanc holds. The plot unfolds like a Gothic, slow-burning symphony of suspicion and moral tension, setting up the natural next question: where was it all filmed?

No, Chimney Rock’s crisp New York air was a clever illusion. While the story breathed American Gothic, the cameras mostly rolled across the United Kingdom. London and its surroundings doubled as upstate New York villages, using British cobblestones and forests to mimic Hudson Valley charm.

Cold Spring provided a single establishing shot, but the majority of the film leaned on UK locations for practical infrastructure, blending foggy landscapes and historical architecture into convincing American settings. This transatlantic sleight-of-hand naturally leads to the question of the central church’s real-world location.

The exterior of Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude came alive at The Church of the Holy Innocents in High Beach, Essex, England, surrounded by the dense Epping Forest. While the Gothic spires and moss-covered stone created an authentic foreboding, the interior shots were a masterclass in illusion, constructed on Warner Bros.

Studios Leavesden soundstages in Hertfordshire. Candlelit pews, stained-glass shadows, and echoing corridors amplified suspense, giving the mystery a tactile, haunted presence that seamlessly merged real architecture with cinematic imagination. From this setting, the filming timeline becomes the natural next revelation.

Principal photography for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery began in June 2024 and wrapped by August 2024, a brisk yet deliberate schedule capturing every twitch, glance, and shadow in its Gothic labyrinth. Filming across London and nearby locations allowed eerie continuity while disguising British streets as upstate New York.

This timeline led seamlessly to a November 2025 theatrical premiere and December 2025 Netflix release. Every day on set, choreographed suspense and intrigue, and the mix of transatlantic locations and detailed production design cemented the film as an undeniable success.

'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' Cast Breakdown — Who’s Who in Benoit Blanc’s Next Mystery

What are your thoughts on the twisted landscapes and secretive sets of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery? Let us know in the comments below.